PO‘IPU — Associates at the Sheraton Kaua‘i are doing something about the slowdown in tourism. Following the resort’s Direct Connection meeting, Angela Vento, the general manager of the Sheraton Kaua‘i, asked the associates to sign a letter that will be
PO‘IPU — Associates at the Sheraton Kaua‘i are doing something about the slowdown in tourism.
Following the resort’s Direct Connection meeting, Angela Vento, the general manager of the Sheraton Kaua‘i, asked the associates to sign a letter that will be forwarded to Kaua‘i’s delegation in Congress as well as the president of the United States.
“Tourism is vital to our island community and recent declines in visitor arrivals are impacting us in many ways,” the letter states.
One of the reasons for the decline in visitor arrivals is the negative media attention being given to companies that received federal bailout funds and used them for travel to meetings and other incentive programs.
“Critics of these companies have mislabeled meetings and events as lavish and unnecessary,” the letter states. “As a result, any business that holds meetings or rewards its employees is thinking twice before it devotes resources to travel. In fact, many are canceling meetings based on fear: fear of media attacks and fear of public opinion.”
Vento said since the attacks began on the high-profile companies, the state has lost $100 million in meeting bookings. She added that airline flights to and from Hawai‘i are currently affordable.
“Island occupancies have declined by 20 percent over the same time last year while operating expenses have continued to grow,” the letter states. “We need your support in understanding the importance of a decline in travel, especially for meetings and events.”
Throughout the Sheraton chain, meeting and event travel reportedly created $101 billion in spending and 1 million jobs in the United States.
“When business meetings and incentive travel programs are perceived as unnecessary luxuries and canceled, front line associates, not CEOs and Wall Street bankers, are the ones who pay the price,” the letter states. “We are the first to lose our jobs as travel declines.”
Vento said the president of the Sheraton hotels spoke with President Obama about the impact the negative media attention has had on the visitor industry and Jack Carter, the vice president of Human Resources for the Sheraton chain, suggested a letter-writing campaign.
“The Sheraton leaders have been active in conversations with Washington, D.C. leaders, and a lot of letters have already been written,” Carter said in a video presentation to the Po‘ipu associates.
He suggested that all Sheraton North America properties engage in the campaign.
“In our weak economy, the last thing Congress should do is create policies or support public ideas that slow our nation’s economic recovery and put jobs at risk and local tax revenues that my family and Kaua‘i depends upon,” the letter states.
